War of the Roses
by The Night Lord
Summary: Connor is saved, but at the cost of Angel and Cordelia's relationship. Five years later, can they reconcile during the literal hell of Los Angeles that is ruled over by Wolfram and Hart? AU. On permanent hiatus...
1. How It All Began

AN: New story, the idea of which I got from the Angel Yearbook. Also, I'd like to point out that this is AU from Loyalty onwards and that somes things are a little different, like Buffy remaining dead after The Gift for example.

* * *

><p>One bullet changed it all.<p>

In that tense stand-off between Wolfram and Hart, Holtz, Sahjahn and myself with my son's life at stake, Holtz had decided to break it by charging for the portal of Quor-toth that Sahjahn had opened. Reacting on instinct, I sprayed a hail of bullets towards Holtz, hitting him in the legs and bringing him down. Thankfully, he had cushioned Connor from the fall, but it had been enough for me to reach the hunter, tear my son away from him, then throw Holtz into the portal, condemning him to an unknown hell. I didn't care, as all that mattered was my son and that he was safe in my arms once more. I could remember the look of rage Lilah held, but again, I didn't care. I had Connor back and I returned to the hotel, intent on watching him more closely.

Looking back now, I had gone out of control with it, but back then, I just didn't care. My son was the most important thing in my life and I allowed it to take over. My over-protectiveness was more like overkill, since every single waking moment was spent watching Connor, making sure that no one tried to kidnap him again. At night, I boarded up all the windows and doors and I began viewing my friends suspiciously, given how this mess had started because one of my best friends had betrayed me.

I couldn't blame Cordelia for leaving. My antics had driven her mightily crazy. She put up with it for a few weeks, but sitting around the hotel with nothing to do and my refusal to talk to her had led her to make that decision and she announced her desire to leave, I was glad for the quiet that followed, though nowadays, I miss it. Fred didn't last much longer after that, moving out of the hotel a week later and as for Lorne, he felt it was time to move on, leaving the city about two weeks after that. That just left me and Gunn. He was the only one to hang around, since I knew he could defend the innocent, just like he always done and I left it up to him to go out and fight the good fight while I remained at the hotel, looking after Connor. I couldn't help it, I had serious trust issues and I refused to leave Connor with anyone else but myself.

After about a month, a surprise greeted me on the doorsteps of the Hyperion: Spike. At first, I tried to kill him, believing he had been coerced by Wolfram and Hart to kidnap Connor, but with Gunn's help, I calmed down and listened to Spike's story. He had been pretty miserable following Buffy's death and after several months, he decided to leave Sunnydale and began to travel the world. One of his travels took him to Africa, where he had regained his soul and he had come to Los Angeles for help. I couldn't trust Spike, never could, but I allowed him to reside in the hotel under my very watchful eye. But to my own surprise, Spike managed to gain my trust, just enough that I could finally leave Connor with someone else but me and after a long year of solid confinement to the hotel, I finally ventured outside.

It was a bad move. Both confining myself and stepping out after a year.

Without my presence in the city, Wolfram and Hart had taken their chance to claim dominance over Los Angeles. The moon was now up at the same time as the sun, allowing vampires to go out in broad daylight and not be burned to a crisp. Then, the sun would set, plunging Los Angeles into darkness that lasted longer than what a normal night would. People were terrified, with hardly anyone venturing out, even during the day. And no one could escape the city, due to the massive wall of electrical energy that blocked all the exits, guarded by powerful demons. Seeing the immense danger, Gunn, Spike and I broke Faith out of prison and she had been a big help to our small group…there was even a period of time when her and I had gotten extremely close, but it had ended when Wolfram and Hart began targeting her…but despite that, we do remain the best of friends and she is quite good to Connor, despite her past.

As if it wasn't bad enough with the constant hell that Los Angeles was in, Wolfram and Hart then summoned a very powerful demon known only as the Beast. The demon began causing death and destruction on a wide level, but when we went up against him, despite it being four against one, we were demolished. Broken bones, blood and crushed hopes were the end result of that conflict and the Beast became the enforcer for Wolfram and Hart, though thankfully, he doesn't come out much, apart from that time he easily demolished the National Guard army when they intervened. Guess Lilah and Gavin have got him on a very tight leash. They'll need to. Judging from Angelus' memories, the Beast loves slaughter as much as Cordelia loves shopping.

And so began the battle for the heart and soul of Los Angeles. Demons were busy conquering parts of the city deemed important and my team were busy fighting against them, saving innocents, but we weren't the only ones. Wesley had formed his own gang of paramilitary-like hunters and given how we were not on good terms, we often had clashes and they weren't the only gang we fought, as Justine had reformed Holtz's small army, carrying out her own brand of justice. While I hadn't seen Cordelia in five years, I had heard someone fitting her description was saving civilians out in Beverly Hills, but I had never been able to gain any definite proof, despite having Spike go into Beverly Hills on several occasions in order to do so.

So now, five years have passed and Connor has grown into a happy, cheeky boy. Amongst all the death and pain, he is the one shining light I have, his infectious smile something I always look forward to seeing when I'm out in the city, knowing that it's enough to get me through each and every day. However, despite that, sometimes, just sometimes, I can't help but hear this niggling feeling at the back of my mind that would often wonder…what would've happened if I didn't save Connor in time?

* * *

><p>AN: So, any good?<p> 


	2. And So the Story Starts

Childish laughter filled the halls of the Hyperion, stirring Angel awake with a smile. Times like this were rare, when the atmosphere of the hotel was peace-like. Or maybe that was just the effect of young Connor as he gleefully raced through the corridors. Either way, as long as his son was happy, Angel was happy and he pulled himself out of bed, heading for the shower. Once he was groomed and dressed, Angel went downstairs, thanking Faith for the mug of coffee she handed him, while noticing that Spike was currently holding Connor upside-down by one leg, casually drinking his own mug of blood like he was holding a paper doll.

"Dad, look at me!" Connor cried, "I'm a vampire bat! Rahr!"

"Very good, Connor," Angel admired, "Spike, I think you can put him down now."

"He starting to turn red? Guess we don't want the brat to pass out on us."

Hooking Connor by his shirt, Spike set his feet on the floor, before heading for the kitchen, while Faith was currently working on a crossword, chewing on the end of the pencil as she sought the answer. Angel joined her at the counter, a small smirk upon seeing her lips worrying the pencil, remembering when her lips used to worry his. That was in the past now, but it didn't stop him from reminiscing…

Her voice snapped him out of his trip down memory lane.

"Huh, what?" Angel cried.

"I said, what's a five letter Russian term for noble?" Faith repeated.

"Oh, that'd be a boyar."

"Boo-yah," she grinned, writing the word down.

"Boyer," Angel corrected without thinking, before realising what she meant when she rolled her eyes at him and shot him a look, "Sorry. Don't know many modern terms."

Faith shook her head in exasperation and returned to her crossword, leaving Angel to watch over Connor, who was currently playing with the toy cars Gunn had gotten him, crashing them into each other and making explosion noises.

"Right, I'm off," Spike announced, throwing his coat on, "Charlie Boy's still asleep-"

"No, I'm not," Gunn said sleepily, appearing on the stairs.

"-So I'm gonna head out on patrol," Spike finished as if he hadn't heard Gunn.

"As long as you don't get killed, we're five by five with it," Faith replied.

"You taking the Plymouth or the Blitz?" Angel asked.

"I think the Blitz would be a little too conspicuous, old man. Plymouth it is."

"No scratches on her!" the elder vampire called, "I mean it! Not one!"

Spike casually waved him off, messed up Connor's hair and left the hotel, taking the Plymouth out onto the apocalyptic streets. He drove to a small building, all the while on the lookout for any civilians in need of rescuing. While people didn't generally venture out much, even during the day, there were still the odd one or two who got caught up in the path of vampires or demons, mainly while trying to gain supplies. Many supply stores had been doing their best to protect their properties so that they could still have customers, but it was tough. Angel Investigations usually help fight off any attacks, while Spike had heard that Wesley had been performing spells for several business owners, erecting barriers that prevented the entrance of beasties.

Pulling into the two-car garage, Spike looked around to make sure he wasn't being watched, then closed the doors, before getting changed into a uniform. From there, he left the property in a meat transport truck, making his way throughout Los Angeles.

Back at the Hyperion, Faith had finally finished the crossword, while taking peeks at Angel playing with his son. A smile came to her as she watched father and son interact, enjoying how Angel was smiling. Those were quite rare and only appeared when he was around Connor or her on occasion. Especially during the period of time when they were together, having been brought closer following the fight against the Beast. And while Faith sometimes wished they could still have that time again, she knew it was for the best that they weren't together, to prevent Wolfram and Hart from targeting her. Not that it bothered her, but Angel had insisted and as a result, Wolfram and Hart had stopped targeting Faith. If only that was the only concerns they had…

"Angel, I hate to interrupt this bonding moment, but we need supplies," Faith called, "You cool to stay here and I can go with Gunn?"

"Yeah, sure, we'll be five by five," Angel shot her a small grin.

Returning it, Faith grabbed the supply list and called for Gunn, before slipping her jacket on as the hunter came downstairs. Together, they took his truck out towards one of the few grocery shops still standing in a comfortable, quiet drive. Despite Los Angeles having become a hellish, post-apocalyptic city, Faith knew she would much rather have this than be at a women's prison. It wasn't all that bad while it lasted, but at least out here, Faith had her freedom and could actually help out.

They arrived at a grocery store, one that had numerous enchantments cast upon it in order to protect the civilians inside, although there weren't very many inside, as Faith and Gunn manage to obtain the supplies they needed and began their journey back home. However, on the drive back to the Hyperion, Faith noticed that Gunn was quite tense and a quick look at his face gave her a clue as to why. Checking the wing mirror, she could see that a truck was following them, one that was being driven by demons.

"Great, so do we pull over and tell them to buzz off or what?" Faith asked.

"Only if they're going to start something," Gunn said, "They better be thinking to _not _start something, otherwise, someone's gonna get hurt."

"Yeah, well, I'm itching for a - WATCH OUT!"

A rocket came screaming down from a nearby rooftop, slamming into the road before Gunn's truck and throwing up chucks of bitumen. Gunn struggled to contain the truck, as a second rocket shot overhead and slammed into the demon's truck, flipping it over onto its roof. Gunn lost control, his truck slamming into a brick wall and gunfire rang out. Faith groaned, letting herself out of the truck, keeping close to its body as bullets whizzed past and she saw a demon charging towards her. However, the demon seized as numerous bullets slammed into its body and it collapsed before the Slayer, as she looked around for any signs of the demon's shooter. There wasn't one and she was pulled to her feet by Gunn, who had a cut above his right eye.

"Wes," was all he said, but she knew.

The last time Angel Investigations had crossed paths with Team Pryce, Wesley had threatened to shoot any of his former team-mates that he came across, believing that the fall of Los Angeles was Angel's fault and given how Gunn had also fought Wesley at their last confrontation, Faith knew they had to leave the scene before the bitter ex-Watcher showed up. Not exactly easy to do when their mode of transport was damaged and they had a tray full of supplies to get back to the hotel. More demons arrived on the scene and Faith finally saw the few of Wesley's men appearing, their gun muzzles flashing as they fired upon the demons. Thankfully, they were focused on the demons and vice versa, allowing Gunn and Faith to try and find a way out.

"There, that car there," Gunn pointed out, "Come on."

He moved around to the driver's side to grab the grocery bags, but he was suddenly struck from behind and fell to the ground, unconscious, as Faith looked up at his attacker, noticing that his handgun was trained upon her.

"Hello, Faith," Wesley said with a wry smile.

* * *

><p>"Connor, lunch time," Angel called, "I've got your favourite here."<p>

"No tomato?" Connor asked as he was lifted up onto the counter.

Angel shook his head, smiling as his son devoured the sandwich with glee.

"Slow down, buddy, don't want you to choke."

Connor nodded and slowed his eating, as Angel drank the mug of blood, noticing that the others had been out for a while. Perhaps there were a lot of things Gunn and Faith had to get. It wasn't exactly easy to get things, as the movement of supply trucks in and out of the city had been restricted by Wolfram and Hart. Connor finished his sandwich and looked up to see that his father had gone rigid.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

"Come with me, Connor."

Taking his son from the counter, Angel ushered him into the office and closed the door. Connor knew the protocol and hid under the desk, where he would wait until his father came back for him. It was a normal thing that he was used to, something that he had been taught when the Hyperion used to be under attack from demons. Meanwhile, Angel grabbed a small battleaxe from the cabinet and slowly made his way upstairs. He had heard something moving around on the upper floors and with everyone currently out, it had to be an intruder. Whoever it was, they were going to get a nasty surprise. Angel didn't take too kindly to intruders. Moving through the hallways, he stopped while nearing an intersection, his back to a door and he waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

A human whirled around the corner, firing his crossbow, but Angel narrowly dodged it in time, while opening the door, as a second human came around the corner, waving his sword. Angel deflected the blade and shoved him into the room, shutting him inside, as another two humans appeared. As Angel fought them, he heard his son scream and he swiftly ended the fight, knocking the men unconscious, as the crossbowman fired again. This time, Angel caught the bolt and hurled it back into the hunter's thigh, before racing back down into the lobby. There, he saw his son in the clutches of a spiteful woman who was holding a knife to the young boy's neck.

"Hey there, Angelus," Justine grinned wildly.

"Justine," Angel said stoically, "Let my son go and I might let you live."

"Uh-huh. That's not how it works, Angel Boy. You let me go with your son and I won't slit the little lad's throat. That'd be such a terrible waste. So, what'll it be?"


	3. Bullet of Burning Agony

"Faith, wake up."

The Slayer groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Since when had she been unconscious? She didn't remem - oh, now she did and she glared at Wesley, who was sitting on a chair before her, a shotgun lying across his lap. He was no longer the weedy, pathetic Watcher that she hated back in Sunnydale. No, he was now scruffy and had taken a liking to brown leather jackets, gyms and guns, with three handguns on his body at least. The scar on his throat was now a mere thin white line against his tanned skin, as he prodded the unconscious Gunn with the shotgun barrel, getting a grunt out of him. A nearby hunter then threw a bucket of water upon Gunn and he instantly woke up sputtering and cursing, Wesley gaining an amused smile as a result.

"What the hell - oh crap," Gunn said, then cursed when he saw Wesley, "English."

"Hello, Charles, nice to see you again," Wesley said.

"So, why you've got us all trussed up here?" Faith asked, "Cause last time we met, I recall you happily stating that you'd shoot any of us if you saw us again."

"Why, are you wishing to be shot?" Wesley asked, aiming a handgun at her, "I shouldn't be too surprised, with your masochism and all."

"Things change. I'm not like that at all, never have been."

"Yes, we'll see. How well do you like your torture, Faith?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait what?" Gunn cried, "You're gonna torture us, English?"

"As a message for Angel," Wesley replied, "Downtown L.A. belongs to me. You should do well to stay out of it. I don't need you interfering in my business."

"Your area?" Gunn said, "You're mad, Wes. Besides, I don't see your name on it."

Wesley cocked the shotgun at his former best friend, "Don't push me, Charles. I haven't forgotten our last encounter. In fact-"

His fist slammed into the left side of Gunn's face and the hunter spat blood.

"That the best you can do, English? Hit a man when he's tied up."

"Tell me, what has Angel done to clean up his mess?" Wesley asked, wiping his hand on a rag and ignoring Gunn, "Has he even taken the blame for it?"

"Angel's not to blame for this," Faith defended, "That would be Wolfram and Hart. Oh and what's this story I'm hearing about you and what's-her-name, Lilah?"

Wesley froze, only for a second, but it was enough and Faith smirked. But then, Wesley resumed his cool, hard demeanour and picked up a shard of glass.

"Who wants to go first? Faith, would you like to try out sharp or blunt first."

"Man, you've really lost your mind," Faith said, "Look, why not let us go and we'll tell Angel to stay out of your territory. Sound good?"

"I don't think telling him is going to do anything," Wesley said, "It's best that I leave him a message and given your _history_ with him, you can be the message."

The glass was getting a little too close for Faith's liking, but she didn't want to show any fear to Wesley, the man she had once tortured herself, but just as the glass neared her cheek, the door burst open and a hunter came in, much to Wesley's annoyance.

"This better be good, Pierce, I'm in the middle of something."

"We're being attacked. Vampires. They're bearing Skip's mark."

"Pierce! Never mind. Just watch over these two while I deal with them."

Wesley returned to the bench, inserting a magazine into one of his handguns.

"You know bullets don't work on vamps, right?" Gunn asked.

"Special brand," Wesley said, "Have fun."

He left the room, as Faith smiled sweetly at Pierce. He ignored her and looked to be more interested in listening to the sounds of fighting outside, which was perfect for Faith. She continued working on the ropes she had been bound with. While Wesley had used a complicated knot to restrain her, it was nothing to a few of the knots she had been shown by Angel and been made to break out of. Unfortunately, Pierce had noticed what she was doing and pointed his handgun at her.

"I'd stop that if I were you."

"Well, my hands feel pretty loose, which means I can break out, so unless you want me to do that, you best tie me back up again," Faith smiled sweetly.

"Yeah, like I'm that stupid?"

_"Damn,"_ she thought, "Well, alright, I'll just break out then."

"You do and I'll shoot you."

"You think your boss would like that? I'm sure he still wants to question us."

Pierce ignored her, but he still moved over to Faith and began working on the ropes.

"So, who's Skip?"

"None of your damn business."

Gunn grabbed Pierce from behind and slammed his face onto the bench, the glass stabbing around Pierce's eye, as Gunn then struck him on the neck, rendering him unconscious, before helping Faith free herself and she grabbed her knives from the bench and one of the 'special brand' magazines, before leaving the room, as a gunshot rang out and a vampire fell down before them. The pair watched as the vampire then burst into flames, before burning away into ashes and they saw that Wesley had been the one to fire the shot. He saw them and took aim, but the pair took off, the bullet just missing them by inches. A battling vampire and hunter came in their way, but were shoved apart by Faith and they came across another vampire. Faith noticed a ribbon on the vampire's arm and he lashed out at her, she caught his arm and tore the ribbon away, before shoving him aside and Gunn rammed a stake into his heart as he passed. Bullets nipped at the pair's ankles as they searched for an exit. A vampire grabbed Gunn from behind, but scored a broken nose from his elbow, as a hunter raised his crossbow at Faith, who knocked his shot aside, then punched him in the face, dropping him. Wesley took aim and fired, hitting Gunn in the right arm. He cried out, feeling an intense burning sensation within his arm, which was now going numb, as Faith grabbed him and dragged him towards a nearby door, kicking it off its hinges. Throwing Gunn into the nearest car, Faith jumped into the driver's seat and tore away from the side street, as Wesley came out onto the road and fired off a few shots.

"Charles, are you okay?" Faith asked.

"No, my arm feels like it's on fire," Gunn groaned, "God, it's unbearable."

"Don't worry, we're gonna get you home and we'll sort it out then. I hope."

* * *

><p>Angel didn't dare move. The knife was too close to Connor's jugular for his liking and any sudden movement would result in Justine reacting instinctively. He had to get that knife away, he had to get Connor away, he had to do something! His son's life was in her hands, she held the power and Angel needed to disarm her somehow.<p>

"Why do you want Connor so bad?" Angel asked, "What do you have to gain?"

"A small slimmer of revenge for Holtz," Justine replied, "But I do know Wolfram and Hart have a lot to gain from Connor. In fact, they'd pay top dollar for him."

"Money is worthless to you. Revenge is all that matters. You've put so much into an old man who's done nothing but lie to you-"

"He gave me something to believe in! I believe in something, which is more than I can say for you, Angelus!" Justine shouted.

"You're crazy. You have no meaning, just like Holtz had no meaning. Oh and I do mean 'had' because I honestly think he's survive that hell dimension-"

"He's stronger than you think!" Justine cried, waving her knife in anger, "He-"

There! Taking his chance, Angel moved, snatching Justine's arm and twisting her wrist, forcing her to drop the knife. He then turned into Justine, his elbow slamming into her face and Connor dived away from her, allowing Angel the freedom to deliver a kick to Justine's stomach, sliding her along the floor. Justine growled and went to get up, but Angel hauled her to her feet, wearing his vamp face, but she wasn't afraid. Rage fuelled her these days and she could even say that _nothing_ scared her.

"Something's telling me that I shouldn't let you live," Angel snarled, "You're a constant threat to my son and I have a habit of taking threats out…permanently."

"Like Wolfram and Hart, huh?" Justine retorted, "Because they're still around, _Angel_ and they're the reason we're living in this hellhole, because you let them do it."

In anger, Angel shoved her away from him and she soon came to a stop, laughing as she slowly got to her feet, seeing Connor hiding behind his father's leg.

"I'll catch you some other time, cutie," Justine said, "Until next time, Angelus."

"For your sake, you better hope there isn't a next time," Angel called after her.

"I don't like her, Daddy," Connor said.

"Don't worry, I don't like her either," Angel said, shifting back to his human face.

* * *

><p>The truck pulled up to the curb and Spike viewed the perimeter of the property. The house was large and crummy looking, something very much out of place in Beverly Hills, but it was a house that no one would really go poking around in. Pulling his cap further down over his face, Spike exited the truck and rang the doorbell. He heard footsteps and a moment later, the door was swung open, a large calibre assault rifle being shoved into his face, as he gave the owner a small smirk.<p>

"Hello, Fred," he said.

She didn't reply, but simply inclined her head and he stepped inside, as she checked the streets, before closing the door, missing the person who had seen them together. With a swish of the cloak, the person was gone from sight, its agenda unknown.

"She's been waiting for you for a while now," Fred said, "Come on."

"Good to see you, as always," Spike muttered before following after her.


	4. The Seer of Beverly Hills

"So, uh, anything new?" Spike asked as they passed through the foyer.

"No, none," Fred replied, setting her rifle down on a side table, handgun on her body.

Spike didn't know what Fred was like before she left the team, as he had arrived after her departure, but he had been told that she was one of the most sweetest and innocent young women around, whose intelligence was just rivalled only by Wesley. But when he finally met her, Spike was greeted by a hardened, yet beautiful woman with a penchant for giant guns, preferring the large calibre assault rifle with a box magazine and a grenade launcher attached to the bottom of the barrel. Fred had gone through her own share of battles, one of which had left her with a scar that ran from her left cheek to beneath the right side of her lips, but Spike still saw her as a beautiful woman and if anything, the scar hardened Fred further. She was never ashamed of it.

"Not even in Beverly Hills?" Spike said, "Shocker."

"How's Connor?" Fred asked.

"Oh, he's fine. Energetic little brat, but he's good."

They passed one of the living rooms and Spike could see the Groosalugg entertaining several female hunters. The Pylean warrior caught sight of Spike and they had a brief staring contest before the latter was dragged away by Fred. Spike had been told about the Groosalugg getting in between Angel and Cordelia all those years ago and when the pair finally met out on the streets during a demon brawl, they had exchanged blows, but the fight was a draw due to the arrival of the Beast. The Groosalugg was always eager to settle the score, but never could due to the sanctuary of the house.

"She's in there," Fred said, throwing open the door.

Spike entered the war room, which had a giant map of Los Angeles plastered to one wall. Hunters moved about in the room, speaking with each other, while their leader stood by the map, discussing tactics with one of her generals. Spike cleared his throat.

Cordelia Chase whirled around, doing her best to stifle her laugh at the sight of Spike in a light blue collared shirt, trucker's cap and dark blue shorts. She had seen the outfit many times during their alliance, but it never failed to amuse her. With a motion to Gwen Raiden, she shooed her off, before heading over to Spike.

"You're a little late," Cordelia said.

"Never easy to get away from Captain Big-bore," Spike replied, "He still hasn't quite lost all his paranoia. But hey, at least I'm here."

"Good, we'll get going. Fred, you're in charge now."

Fred nodded and headed to Gwen to confer on the latest mission, as Cordelia left the room with Spike. Over the years, she had trained herself to become both an expert martial artist and sword-master, having also received some help from the Groosalugg, although she still had some traces of Angel's training. Not only that, but she had grown into a true leader, showing the skills that made everyone around her both admire and respect her. The demons and vampires of Beverly Hills all feared Cordelia, especially given how she had learnt control over her demonic powers. Along with the visions, she could now levitate at will, conjure brief blasts of white light and even create a full-body expanding glow capable of wiping out groups of demons. Unfortunately, that technique left her weakened afterwards and the Beast was also the only being resistant to its power. She was also capable of producing glamours, an ability that had helped both her team and Spike out over the last few years.

The pair made their way down into the large basement, which was packed with numerous civilians, all who had been saved by either Spike or Cordelia's team, brought here to rest, recover and wait until the chance came for them to escape. Cordelia made sure that they were well looked after, but at times it was quite tough.

"Alright, another twenty get to leave today," Cordelia announced, "I know that you all wish to leave, but it's not quite possible yet. So, can the twenty people who've been here the longest put their hands up and step this way."

Twenty people made their way towards the pair, who led them upstairs and out of the house, where they were loaded into the back of the truck. Spike was keeping an eye out for anyone watching them, but was satisfied when everyone was on board and he didn't have to kill anyone, before climbing into the cab with Cordelia. He drove towards one of the city exits, as she checked over the false paperwork she had Fred replicate, just like the past few times they had done this. When Spike came across Cordelia, she had threatened him to never tell Angel about her and when he promised, the pair entered into an alliance: Spike would send any civilians he'd rescued to Cordelia, who was look after them for a while until the time when the supply trucks made their rounds. During then, Spike and Cordelia would load up civilians and evacuate them from Los Angeles under the guise of a meat supply truck. The plan had been working for the last several months, but under Wolfram and Hart's very watchful eye, Cordelia knew it was only a matter of time before they were caught. Whatever Wolfram and Hart would do to her, she couldn't even begin to imagine.

"So…uh…how is everyone?" Cordelia asked.

Spike could tell that she really meant Angel. After all this time, the blond vampire had come to learn that Cordelia was in love with Angel, but either refused to see it or just simply didn't know, but when he had brought _that _topic up, she threatened to shove a stake…in not a very nice place. Besides, despite her interest in Angel still, Spike knew she was still mightily ticked off with the elder vampire, given the way he had treated things following Connor's rescue. And mentioning Faith was also a big no-no.

"They're good," Spike replied, turning down a street, "Angel's still all 'Dark Avenger', gloomy and broody until he kills something."

"He…he hasn't…damnit."

"No, he's not seeing anyone if that's what you wanted to ask."

Cordelia glared, but she couldn't help the blush that showed, causing Spike to smirk.

"That's _not_ what I was going to ask," she snapped at him.

"I bet. Besides, what about you and the otherworldly meat-block?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes, "You can't run a war and see someone at the same time."

"Sure you can. Look at Angel and Faith," Spike retorted instantly.

Pain smashed through the right side of Spike's head and he saw stars before his eyes, the truck swerving on the road, but he was able to see through the stars and righted the truck, before glaring at Cordelia, but he knew it was his own fault for mentioning Angel and Faith in the same sentence. Still, she didn't have to punch him in the head. That could have jeopardised their entire mission and then where would that lead them? Spike decided to keep his trap shut unless it was important or if-

"How's Connor?" Cordelia asked once she felt she'd calm down enough.

The idea of Angel and Faith being together was a sore spot for Cordelia, even though they weren't together anymore and she was wondering why she had even been affected by it and still was. Perhaps it was because that despite Angel's antics, she still cared for the vampire and didn't trust Faith as far as she could throw the Slayer…which, to be honest, wasn't really far.

"Five year old son of a broody vampire," Spike spoke carefully, "What do you think?"

Every time they did this, she usually asked the same questions and Spike would answer her, often wondering why she just didn't go out and talk to Angel herself. If they could get over this stupid hurdle these two blockheads had put up between each other, then they wouldn't be residing in a hellish City of Angels, would they? Of course, Spike wisely kept his mouth shut, knowing that it wouldn't lead him anywhere and Cordelia would simply stake him if he even tried to mention it at all.

"I would like to see him. I miss that kid. Has…Angel ever mentioned me to him?"

"Not that I know of," Spike replied, "And here we are."

He pulled up behind the rest of the trucks that were to leave Los Angeles on their supply runs. Demons ruled the gateways, checking the paperwork and the cargo holds before they allowed the trucks to pass. Spike lit up a cigarette and patiently waited until it was their turn, handing the paperwork to the demon like he'd done at least twenty times before. The demon growled in acceptance, before motioning to the others and they all headed to the back of the truck to inspect the cargo.

"Time to do your thing," Spike told Cordelia.

She closed her eyes, focusing her powers so that when the demons opened the cargo, all they saw was an empty truck that needed filling. Satisfied, the demons closed the cargo and Cordelia relaxed, although she was visibly weakened and they were allowed passage through the barrier, a magical detector placed beneath their truck. It was a construct of Wolfram and Hart, allowing them to monitor the trucks' progress outside the city, recording any dialogue and feeding it back to the offices. It also had an anti-tampering function, which would instantly teleport demons to any truck driver who decided to remove the monitor. Luckily, Cordelia had been able to obtain one of these monitors and gave it to Fred to tamper with. The result was that Cordelia had gained a remote that switched off the monitor, allowing her to feed it false information, which she activated now they had left the safety of Wolfram and Hart.

"Don't stake me now, but I really think you should talk to Angel," Spike said.

"Why? Has that ever gained me anything?" Cordelia asked, "I tried talking to him, but all he did was shut me out. It was like he couldn't trust me any more."

"It's been five years, pet. Angel may be still paranoid, but he's come out of his shell."

"And he could have spoken to me then. He knew he could find me, but he didn't. Instead, he spoke to Faith and I know how cosy they got. So no thanks."

Spike sighed and flicked the butt out the window, "Faith understands Angel on several levels, but from I gather, it's nowhere as much as you understand him."

"Spike, I said no. Now stop it before you personally greet Mr. Pointy."

"Fine. Only trying to help you out, pet."

"And stop calling me pet," Cordelia snapped.

Spike snickered at her tone as they continued the drive to Las Vegas, where Lorne had set up a sanctuary for those escaping from Los Angeles. From there, he was able to help them rebuild their lives until such a time they could return to their beloved city.


	5. Caught Out of the Game

Angel had just returned to the lobby after scouting the perimeter of the Hyperion for any more of Justine's goons, when Faith and Gunn showed up, the former easily carrying the latter inside like he was a baby and settled him onto the circular couch. Gunn's breathing was heavy and he was covered in a layer of sweat, as Faith ripped a shirt off so she could get a closer look at the bullet wound in his arm.

"What happened to him?" Angel asked, rushing to their side.

"We got abducted by Wesley and in the process of escaping, he shot Gunn. But I think it was with one of those special brand bullets of his."

"What special brand?"

"Get me the items to pull it out and I'll tell you then."

Angel rushed over to the counter, obtaining the first-aid kit, then moved Connor into the office, before joining Faith, as she withdrew a pair of tweezers from the kit.

"So, what special brand?" Angel asked.

"I don't know, but whatever they are, you best stay away from them, Angel," Faith said as she dug into Gunn's flesh, "They can turn a vamp to ashes in seconds."

"But bullets-"

"Special brand, Angel. First, it sets a vamp on fire, then burns them to dust. I think that's why Gunn's all sweaty. Whatever's in the bullet is burning through him."

She managed to wrest the bullet out of Gunn's arm, as Angel wiped the sweat away for him, before placing a wet towel on his forehead. Faith bandaged his wound, as Gunn shivered, the heat of his body contrasting with the coolness of the towel. Faith inspected the spent bullet, seeing nothing different with it and picked up the magazine she had stolen, while Angel noticed the sash and he picked it up for a closer look.

"Angel, would you know anyone who could look into this further?" Faith asked.

The first name that came to Angel's mind was Fred, but he hadn't seen or heard from Fred in five years. Hell, he didn't even know if she was still in the city, so he shook his head. He did have some demon contacts, but none of them would be able to tell him how the bullet worked or where it came from.

"Well, we've got nothing on this," Angel said, "But perhaps we can find out who these guys are," he added, holding up the sash, "I'll send Spike - where is Spike?"

Faith shrugged, "I haven't seen him since this morning. Maybe he got held up? Well, whatever the case, these vamps work for a guy named Skip."

"Skip? Skip…Skip…Skip," Angel muttered, "That name seems familiar."

"Daddy, is he gonna be okay?" Connor asked, approaching the group, "Uncle Gunn isn't going to die, is he?"

Faith glanced at Angel and took her cue, kneeling before the young boy.

"Uh, he's gonna be fine. Let's go upstairs and you can show me that new video game that Spike got you," she suggested, taking Connor by the hand.

He grinned in agreement and led Faith upstairs, who was still a little surprised at his strength, as Angel turned to Gunn. Most of the sweat had left the hunter, although he was still shivering. Angel could smell the burnt flesh and he knew he had to find out more about this brand of ammunition that Wesley was using.

"How you feeling, Charles?" Angel asked.

"Like I was deep fried on a bonfire," Gunn replied, "I guess he really did follow through on his threat. Says that downtown L.A. is now his territory."

"What makes him think he owes it?"

"I think with those bullets of his, who's gonna say otherwise?"

"Yeah, but he's gotta get them from somewhere. Wesley is brilliant, but I doubt he could come up with something like that…on…his…own."

Angel leaned back as it clicked for him and Gunn frowned, before realising what the vampire was talking about. He never thought that his former friend would even do something like that, but in times like this and given Wesley's nature, especially following his banishment from Angel Investigations, it wasn't all too surprising.

"Guess I have to pay a visit to Lilah," Angel said, "When night falls, I'll go."

"So, what are you gonna do instead?" Gunn asked.

"Find out more about this Skip fellow. You take it easy here, Gunn."

Arming himself with only a battleaxe and a few stakes, Angel left the basement.

* * *

><p>Wesley was in the process of cleaning up the mess from the vampire attack, frustrated that Faith and Gunn had escaped, as he had been planning to use them against Angel. The years in Hell following his banishment had made Wesley a bitter and hardened man, who believed that he could never rely on anyone else but himself and unable to put his trust into any one, knowing that everyone all had their own agenda.<p>

"Wow, quite a mess."

Speaking of agendas…

Wesley turned around to see Lilah in the doorway. She shot him a smile and carefully stepped over a dead body that was yet to be removed, as Wesley sighed, hands on hips. The last thing he wanted to deal with was her, but there were often some advantages her presence could offer him…along with the disadvantages, as always.

"What are you doing here?" Wesley asked slowly, keeping his annoyance in check.

"Came to see how you are," Lilah replied, "I heard about the attack."

"You mean the attack that you arranged?"

She casually shrugged, "We have our own plans for Angel and that kinda involves his friends. You know, the group you're not a part of? Can't have you killing them."

"I wasn't going to kill them-"

"And on the bright side, at least you got to test those bullets we made for you."

"Yes, but losing men makes my job harder," Wesley growled.

"Oh, I love it when you're all frustrated. Makes you sexier," Lilah smirked, inching closer, "Besides, Wes, haven't you always worked better on your own?"

He grabbed her and pinned her to the wall with his body, a growl on his lips, his frustration coming to the fore, but all it did was make Lilah smirk. She really enjoyed this little 'dance' that they did. It gave her something to look forward to after a day in the office when she was sick of Gavin's grovelling or the other workers who bothered her. Sometimes, being the CEO of Wolfram and Hart could be such a chore.

"You're really making me believe that's the better route," Wesley growled.

"Then how would you get all those fancy bullets?" Lilah asked, layering her tone with sweet sexuality, "Face it, Wes, you've sold your soul to me and you can't get it back."

"You only like to think you have my soul, Lilah. You don't own me."

"Keep dreaming that pretty dream, Watcher boy. At night, you're mine."

His lips twisted into a wry grin before striking that sweet spot that made her moan.

"Uh, boss-"

Blam!

Wade dropped to the ground in shock, the bullet having hit the doorframe just next to where his head had been, as Wesley glared at him, aiming his handgun. Wade slowly got his feet, shaken by the near miss, knowing that Wesley's next shot wouldn't miss.

"Tell the boys that I do not wish to be interrupted," Wesley ordered, "The one foolish enough to do that is going to come out unluckier than you. Go."

Wade nodded and hurriedly left the room, shutting the door on the way out, as Lilah smirked. She loved it when Wesley was all tough and domineering, but sometimes, he had to put into his place. A challenge, but one she enjoyed, as she slipped the gun straps off his shoulders, her office jacket quickly them. Her hands slipped under his sweatshirt, her nails raking against his muscled abdomen, as he bit on her neck lightly.

"Doing it in the interrogation room, huh?" Lilah asked breathlessly, "Kinky."

"Yes, I do believe there are some handcuffs around," Wesley hissed, "Shall we?"

* * *

><p>The truck slipped through the barrier and Spike pulled up amongst the demons, handing them the paperwork once more, a casual look on his face as he smoked a cigarette, while Cordelia was twirling her short hair beside him, wearing a bored expression. They had made the delivery to Lorne and hurried back to Los Angeles, as Spike had to get back to the Hyperion before Angel started to get suspicious.<p>

"Have a nice little drive to Sin City?" a demon asked

"I'm sorry, what?" Spike asked, keeping his surprise in check, putting on a fake American accent, "No, no, I'm just a simple driver for a meat company."

"Yeah, right, and I'm the Queen of England. We can see through your tricks."

"Knew this was going to happen," Cordelia hissed, "Wolfram and Hart must have finally figured we tampered with the monitor."

"Yeah, I realise that pet," Spike whispered in his normal accent, "Time to break."

"You two wanna step out of the truck or we pull you out," the demon growled.

Cordelia fired a blast of white light from her palm, destroying the booth with an explosion, sending the demons into confusion, as Spike slammed the accelerator flat to the floor, tearing away from scene…as fast as the truck could go. Bullets tore into the back of the truck, as Spike swung around a corner, nearly tipping the truck, but he regained control, but the truck wasn't going very fast and the demons were starting to gain on them. With a glance at each other, Spike and Cordelia both dropped out of the cab, with the latter firing another blast of white light that struck a building wall and blew chucks of mortar, temporarily blinding the demons with dust, as Spike and Cordelia took their chances to leave, both heading off in opposite directions from each other, taking the nearby alleys to gain distance between themselves and their pursuers.


End file.
